PR9 - China dominates first meet in Rostock (GER)

The team of China won six out of the eight gold medals at stake in the first meet of the 2010 FINA Diving Grand prix, held in Rostock (GER) from February 26-28. The non-Chinese titles went to local star Sascha Klein in the men’s 3m springboard and to Australia’s Sharleen Stratton in the women’s same event.

The women’s competition was highlighted by the double win of China’s most recent revelation, 13-year-old Yadan Hu, victorious in both the individual and synchro 10m platform events. For the pair event, she competed with her teammate Sinou Ma, who was second in the individual competition. In the springboard events, Stratton was rewarded by her regularity, while Lin Qu (CHN) finished second (she missed her first dive) and Han Wang got the bronze (after a poor third dive). Tania Cagnotto (ITA), one of the most successful athletes in 2009 finished fourth, having missed her fifth and last attempt. In the synchronised event, Wang and Qu were first, while Stratton (pairing with Briony Cole) and Cagnotto (together with Francesca Dallapè) finished second and third respectively.

In the men’s field, Sascha Klein was brilliant in the individual 3m springboard, leaving the silver for Russia’s Evgeny Kuznetsov and the bronze for China’s Kai Qin (who had a poor fourth dive). In the synchronised event, the pair Kai Qin and Yutong Luo took comfortably the gold.

In the platform competition, China dominated the operations, with Liang Huo winning the individual event – in front of Peter Waterfield (GBR, second), and another Chinese, Aisen Chen (third). In the synchronised event, the duet Junbai Li/Aisen Chen easily won in 449.67, more than 17 points ahead of Germany’s Sascha Klein/Patrick Hausding.